


Black Magick

by Callie_Girl



Series: Descendants and the Demon [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Black Cauldron (1985)
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Other, Secrets, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-08-12 22:36:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20153230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callie_Girl/pseuds/Callie_Girl
Summary: Prince Ben, soon to be king, smiled proudly to his parents. "I've already decided. We'll start with five, and then go from there."King Adam motioned for his son to continue."Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil, Jafar, Maleficent, and... and the Horned King."





	1. 1

Heavy boots announced the arrival of someone new, and everyone in the room, villains and VKs, turned to see a dark silhouette in the doorway. The figure paused for a moment before drifting in like some sort of spirit.

"Who's this?" Mal drawled, sizing the new person up. Just a bit shorter than Jay and a bit skinnier than Carlos.

"The fifth member of your party."

"Zachariah." The figure cut in, voice deep and hoarse. He raised his head slightly, glaring at them with golden eyes that seemed almost to glow in the shadows of his hood. "Son of the horned king."

Mal scoffed. "What kind of name is that?"

Zachariah pulled his hood down, meeting Mals green eyes with his amber ones. "Mine. What kind of name is Mal?"

Mal narrowed her eyes. "Short for Maleficent."

He scoffed, folding his scarred arms over his chest. "Oh please, is that supposed to scare me or something? Honestly, I'm shaking in my combat boots."

"Daughter of Maleficent," Mal added.

Zachariah looked at Mal, then at Maleficent, then back at Mal. "Am I supposed to be impressed or something? At least my dad wasn't bitter about not getting invited to a party by his ex." He smirked.

Evie sighed, stepping between the two before it could escalate. "The limo is here."

Zachariah nodded, then walked out. Jay and Carlos exchanged a look, then followed him.

Well, it looked like this was going to be interesting.


	2. 2

"Guys!" Evie gasped, looking out the window. They were driving right off the bridge-

"It's a trap!" Carlos screeched.

Riah sighed as the others screamed, calmly grabbing some more rock candy. Ah well, sixteen was a decent life. Besides, being good friends with Hades pretty much guaranteed he wouldn't stay dead.

Then, they stopped screaming.

He looked out the window again, watching the golden particles swirl around the limo. Evie sighed in relief. "It must be magic!"

Riah scoffed, grabbing more of the candy and stuffing it into his coat pockets. Maybe they would let him mail some of this stuff to Freddie and Celia.

"Hey, what's that?" It took him a few moments to realize tiny Malecficent was addressing him, and even longer to realize his amulet had come untucked from his shirt. The bluestone, about the size of a nickel, was glowing more intensely than it ever had on the Isle.

"My amulet."

"Why do you have an amulet?"

Riah pulled his upper lip over his teeth and spat "Ask your mother."

"Is that supposed to be a "yo mama" joke?" Carlos asked.

"No." Riah shook his head, tucking the amulet back into his shirt. "During her quest for power, Maleficent used what power she had left in that damned staff to remind my father that she was the queen. So, she cursed me to get to him. Hades broke off part of his ember and made this, which is pretty much the only thing that's kept me alive for this long."

"Hades helped the Horned King?"

"No. Hades helped me. The Horned King wants jack shit to do with me, but we don't have enough time to unpack all of that."

Mal changed the subject. "Can you do magic?"

"Yeah. Weather magic." He held out one hand, palm up, and watched as a miniature hurricane formed about one inch above it. "Yes, I can make stuff bigger than this with little effort. I can also do normal spells, but not like you guys do. My spells have to be in Latin or Enochian."

Mal blinked. "Okay, I'm going to pretend that's not the weirdest shit I've ever heard. You think you could do something dramatic, like a flash of lightning or something, when we step out of the limo?"

Riah grinned, hurricane dissolving. "Oh, definitely.

The roar of thunder was perfectly timed.

Everyone in the band flinched as a second bolt of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating the silhouettes of the five villain kids. Fairy Godmother frowned out the sky, which had been clear only moments before.

The king, to his credit, seemed entirely unphased, going through some boring political schpiel as he shook all of their hands. When his hand connected with Riahs, he leapt back, shaking his hand off. "You shocked me!"

How on earth could this man be so delighted about being "shocked?"

Riah grimaced apologetically. A problem with old magick users was the transfer of power. When they made skin-to-skin contact with someone else, their body sent a brief flash of power to let the other know what they were dealing with. According to Hades, before the Horned King became a skeleton, his power transfer was known for completely decking people.

"Anyway, I hope this is the day our two peoples can begin to reunite." Ben continued, still shaking his hand gingerly.

"Or the day you show five peoples where the bathrooms are." Mal interrupted.

Ben winced in apology. "A bit too much?"

"A little bit more than a little bit."

"So much for first impressions." Ben chuckled once before motioning for them to follow and going into a history about the school. Riah fingered his amulet nervously as Ben called someone named Doug over. "Hey, can you show them to their rooms?"

"Hold on," Riah ordered, motioning for Ben to stay where he was. "How many to a room?"

"Um... only two. So you'll be roomed with someone different-"

"No." Riah interrupted. "I'm not sleeping in a room with someone I don't know. I'll stay on the roof."

Doug and Ben looked at each other before Ben said, "We... what about the weather?"

"I'll live."

"Ben-" Doug started, waving slightly to get the kings attention. "Isn't there a spare dorm in the attic for just one person?"

Ben nodded, grateful. "Would that be okay?"

Riah nodded curtly. 

"Will you need any help finding it?"

"There's only one attic, right? Shouldn't be a problem." He flashed a small smile before walking away.

"Where are you going?" Doug called.

"To scale the building," Riah called back.

"Is... is he always like that?"

Carlos nodded. "Yep. He'll warm up to you guys eventually."

Ben nodded. "I'll see if I can meet him there to give him his schedule."

When Ben was gone, Mal plucked the schedules out of Dougs shaking hands and gave them a once over. "C'mon, guys, let's go find out rooms."

They got halfway up one of the staircases before Doug called, "Actually, your rooms are the other way."

Oops.

Riah swung in through the window to the room the boys shared, glowering at his schedule. "This is bullshit. "Remedial Goodness?" I bet that's a new class."

Jay beckoned him over, showing off what he had stolen. "Got this for you."

Riah stared at the black box thing. "What the fuck is this?"

"Cell phone," Carlos answered. "Jay stole one for all of us so we can keep in touch even when we're in different rooms."

Riah frowned at it, tapping it a few times. Jay plucked it out of his hands and turned it to that is was right side up before handing it back with a small laugh. Riah hissed at him.

All three jumped when someone pounded on the door, and Mal shouted, "It's us, bozos. Unlock the door."

Riah flicked his hand and the door swung open, barely taking his eyes off of his new gadget. He partially zoned out while the others talked, until Mal all but shouted, "This is out one chance... to prove ourselves to our parents. To prove that we are mean and vicious, and ruthless."

Riah scrunched his nose. "But why would you want to? I mean, they treat us like shit."

Mal glared at him, her eyes glowing emerald, and he responded by making his scleras go pitch black and his iris' glow red. This went on for quite some time before Eve snapped to get their attention. "Guys, I found the wand."

Mal went over. "It's in a museum? How far?"

Carlos clacked something into his foldy-box thing, then turned the glowing bit to them. "2.5 miles from here."

Mal grinned. "Let's do this."

Riah spoke up. "I'll stay behind in case anyone comes knocking. I can only imagine how these goody-goods would react if they came over to find all five of us gone."

Mal nodded. "Okay. With any luck we won't have to be in this place for long."


	3. 3

"Let me guess," Riah called as they came back in. "No luck?"

Mal sighed, irritated. "Jays fault."

Riah shook his head, opening another rock candy. "No, Fairy Godmothers fault. I did some research, which you should've done before you lot fucked off to the museum. You can only get through that barrier if you're Fairy Godmother or holding the wand. The enchantments are watertight." 

Mal growled under her breath. "And you didn't see fit to call and tell us?!"

"Nope." Riah looked very much like he was enjoying this. "I wanted to see if you guys could actually manage it."

Mal was livid. "You sound a lot like you were hoping we would fail!"

Riah stood up. "Hey, you said it, not me."

Before Mal could ask what that meant, he was across the room, hand on the doorknob. Before he left, he questioned, "Why are you guys so eager to put those who've hurt you atop the throne of the world, eh?"

Then, he was gone.

Riah sat at Bens table the next day, ignoring how five people got up and left when he did. "Hey, Ben, are we allowed to send stuff to the Isle? Like, packages and such?"

Ben considered it for a moment, then said, "I suppose it depends on what you're sending?"

"I want to send some of my old friends some candy."

Bens eyes lit up, and he nodded. "Just bring the box to my room later and I'll make sure it gets sent."

"Thanks."

"Oh, are you going to the Halloween Ball?"

Riah frowned, tilting his head. "The what?"

Ben smiled gently. "Halloween is when people dress up in costumes. We have a big festival, then a big dance."

"Costumes? They won't dress up as anyone from the Isle, right?"

"No, people never do that. Mostly it's just cool clothes are funky jewellery. You guys should come. Plenty of free food."

Riah couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, if there's free food then I'll totally be there."

Ben smiled even wider. "Good."

Evie fell off of the bed when Riah swung in through the window. "Guys, you'll never believe this!"

"Done avoiding us?" Mal drawled.

"Pretty much."

Mal nodded. "Good, because we've changed our plans. The wand is on hold after some new information came to light. Now, what were you saying?"

"Apparently they have this thing called Halloween where they dress up funny and have a party. Ben invited us."

Mal nodded. "Sure, let's go. What day is it?"


	4. 4

"I can't believe you let her talk you into that." Riah grinned. Mal glowered at him, then at the purple dress Evie had wheedled her into wearing.

"I can't believe you let her dye your hair." Mal shot back, flicking one of the blue locks.

"She promised to dye it back before Monday." He twisted one of the several rings on his thin fingers. It felt like Evie had gone out of her way to recreate the look Hades usually rocked. When he'd asked her about, she smirked and ignored the question.

"Yeah, I've gotta admit, if I didn't know you, I'd say you were the son of Hades." Mal teased, flicking his hair again. Ben came back over, holding three of something neither of them recognized.

"It's called a candied apple," Ben explained, offering two of them. Riah sniffed his nervously before taking a bite. His eyes widened in shock, and he looked over at Mal, who was reacting the same way.

"It's good, isn't it?" Ben grinned, biting into his own. "Hey, where are the other three?"

Mal scoffed. "Evie and Jay are trying to figure out who can win more prizes for Carlos and Carlos is watching."

"Where's Audrey?" Riah asked, tossing the core of his candied apple into the trash. "Shouldn't you be spending today with your girlfriend?"

"She's going to be a little late. Something about her costume." Ben shrugged. "Besides, who else would show you around?"

"You don't have to babysit us." Mal pointed out.

"Maybe so. But I like hanging out with you guys." There was no sarcasm or underlying malice in his voice, making Mal and Riah exchange a confused look. Ben ploughed on. "Anyway, are you two going to actually dance at the dance?"

Riah snorted. "Oh please, they disapprove of me enough. I don't need to make a fool out of myself on the dancefloor."

"You could always dance with me."

Riahs eyes widened as he stared at Ben, looking for some sign it was a joke. When he found none, he asked, "You're... you're not joking, are you?"

"What he means to say is yes, he would do that." Mal interrupted.

Ben smiled blindingly. "Good! Unless Audrey shows up, do you mind having the first dance?"

"Um..."

"He means yes, the first dance is perfectly fine." Mal sighed, rolling her eyes.

Ban glanced at his watch. "Well, I've got to go set up. See you guys soon."

As soon as Ben was out of earshot, Mal sighed. "You were so awkward that it gave me physical pain."

"I could get used to this Halloween stuff." Riah joked, grabbing yet another piece of candy from the snack table. They practically had the entire thing to themselves, seeing as everyone else stayed around ten feet away from them and they'd claimed the table closest to the candy buffet. Only Doug and Jane came over, but that only lasted for about five minutes because everyone kept glaring at them. 

Riah couldn't help but be nervous as he watched Ben flutter about the room, shaking hands and exchanging greetings. He was going to make a complete fool of himself. In front of everyone. Heck, he would probably trip and take Ben down with him.

Well, if that happened, he decided he would just go back to the Isle and avoid Auradon for the rest of his short life.

After about thirty minutes, Ben came over, smiling to Riah. "You still up for that dance?"

Riah nodded numbly, taking Bens outstretched hand. "I... I don't know how to dance"

"Just follow my lead."

"O-okay."

Without hesitation, Ben swept him out to the dance floor, one hand on the small of Riahs back. "Don't be nervous."

Then, the music started.

It was surprisingly easy to mirror Bens movements. They glided across the dance floor, and for once the glares and whispered didn't bother him. The dance didn't last long, but he loved every second of it.

Mal smirked at him as Ben led him back over. Ben didn't realize, instead bowing to Evie. "Can I have this dance?"

Evie giggled, taking his hand and letting herself be taken to the dance floor. Riah collapse into one of the seats and Mal laughed at him. He shot a half-hearted glare at her. "You did that on purpose."

"Oh yeah. You should've seen your face when he came over. Priceless."

Riah hissed at her, grabbing a cookie from the table. The lights dimmed as the next song started, and Riah closed his eyes, enjoying the darkness.

Gasps rippled through the room. Riah opened his eyes, shooting to his feet in an attempt to see what was going on.

It was /her./

Maleficent. Flanked by two of her minions.

"No." He whispered, stumbling back as they started towards him. "No no no no no no /no-/"

A smirk, so similar to Mals, fluttered across her thin, black lips as she studied him, pointed to him-

His back hit the wall, and it occurred to him that he was cornered. No way out...

Unless...

His amulet began to float slightly, blue light flaring brighter than he'd ever seen it, and fear briefly flashed in Maleficent's horrid emerald eyes.

Then, a shockwave sent her and her minions to the ground.

Then, Riah sack to the floor, coughing and wheezing so hard it shook his entire body. Ben, who'd been thrown into the punch bowl, ran over. "Riah! Riah, what's going on?" Riah coughed even harder, trying to force words out of his blood-frothed lips, pointing at his amulet.

"Jane! Where's your mom?"

"IN her office!" Jane squeaked, terrified.

"Get her. Now!" As Jane ran off, Ben turned his attention back to Riah. "Riah, I need you to stay awake. Can you breathe?" Riah shook his head as best he could. Mal ran over.

"It's the curse." She whispered, comprehension dawning on her pale face. She gripped his hand, screwing her eyes shut inc concentration. After a few seconds, she shook her head. "The magic is too powerful-"

"What on Earth is going on in here?" Fairy Godmother called, storming in. Just as Ben beckoned her over, Riah lost consciousness.


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mal might not know everything that goes on under her mothers' command...
> 
> Okay, by the way, you'll notice that I have a habit of switching between "magic" and "magick" or "fairy" and "faerie."
> 
> Magic is what you see Mal and Evie use a lot in the movies, with rhymes and words. Magick is more powerful and old, normally requires either Enochian or Latin.
> 
> Fairy is someone like the three good fairies. Faerie is a type of much older fae, like Maleficent or Fairy Godmother.

"He's hiding something," Mal stated, grabbing the attention of the other three. "Riah. He's hiding something."

"What makes you say that?"

"Did you see him when he saw fake mom? He was absolutely petrified. He practically looked like he had come to terms with his own torture or something."

"Maybe it's just because she cursed him?" Jay guessed, tossing an apple from hand to hand.

"I don't think so. You've seen how he responds to fear, right? Snarky remarks and making us question our existence. He did the same in the real Maleficent's presence."

"If you ask me, I think it's not just about Maleficent." Carlos pointed out, looking up from his laptop. "Because he was in the room with her and didn't react nearly as bad as he did last night. But last night, two guys were dressed up as her minions. I think that might have been part of his problem."

Mal frowned. "But why would he be afraid of them? They're absolute idiots."

Evie sighed. "Mal, you only spend time on half of the Isle. Before I went to Dragon Hall, I lived in the same area I think he's from. Everyone is terrified of your mom's guards. They carry out beatings, you know, beat people up if Maleficent says so. There are rumours of... other things, too. But even if it was just the beatings, he's definitely been hurt by them more than once."

Mal frowned. "But why would she have them beat HIM up?"

"Sometimes they just beat people up for stupid stuff. Like Celia once got hit because she was delivering food to Hades and wouldn't give it to the goons. She was fine later-" Evie backtracked, seeing the horror on the faces of the other three, "but that kind of stuff happens all the time. You don't dare fight back, or Maleficent will hurt you. Everyone on that side knows the basics of what happened to Riah, and no one wants to end up like him."

They were quite for a few minutes while Mal processed what Evie had told her, then someone knocked on the door.

"Who goes- I mean, who is it?"

"The Fairy Godmother."

Carlos got to his feet, unlocking the door. The second the older woman was inside, he asked, "So, how is he?"

"It's going to be touch and go for the next couple of days, but he's recovering. Regained consciousness about an hour ago. He won't be able to talk for a few days, but other than that."

"Do you know what happened? Like, he was coughing up blood..." Carlos winced, trying not to think about it.

"Old faerie spell. It attacks the lungs. Quite honestly it's a miracle he's survived this long."

"Can you reverse the spell?"

Fairy Godmother shook her head, looking kind of sad. "I would need the talisman that cast the curse, otherwise I run the risk of making it much worse. Do any of you happen to know what his amulet is made of?"

Mal snapped her fingers, thinking. "He said... the ember of Hades."

Fairy Godmother smiled. "Thank you, dear. That will make it easier to recharge."

"Are we allowed to go see him?"

"Yes. He's currently in the hospital wing, but just tell the nurses that I sent you and there shouldn't be a problem." 

The second they entered, Riah grabbed a whiteboard he'd been given and scrawled out, -Why is Maleficent not on the Isle?-

Mal sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "It was a prank. She's still on the Isle, don't worry."

He exhaled slowly, the mimed shooting himself in the head.

"I get it, dude. Anyway, the three who did it can't even be punished, because this place is pretty much a neutral zone between all the states. Everyone here has diplomatic immunity."

He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, sighing again. -We can't do anything?-

"I'm afraid not, pal."

-Then let's burn this place to the ground.-

Wow. Mal raised her eyebrows. "You really don't like my mom. Anyway, Evie has an idea, a... love spell." Both of them cringed, and then she continued, "But that means one of us five would have to be the fixation. Carlos and Jay have already said hell no, and so did I. That brings it down to you and Evie."

"And I don't really want to do it either," Evie spoke up.

Riah rolled his eyes. -What makes you think the people of Auradon would just accept Ben dumping Audrey for me?-

"You should've seen how he reacted yesterday. Stayed by your side the entire time. Once Fairy Godmother stabilized you, he was the one who carried you here. He even stayed the night. He'd probably be here right now if there wasn't a council meeting. He danced with you first yesterday. I don't think anybody would be extremely surprised. Not enough to be suspicious." Carlos pointed out.

"You'd be closest to the wand during the coronation, and your the one who has the most experience with that type of magick," Mal added.

-This is the dumbest idea I've ever heard in my entire life. Let's do it.-

"Okay, we'll start to prepare the spell," Mal promised.

"Oh, by the way, when do you want me to dye your hair back to black?" Evie spoke.

Riah considered it for a few seconds, then wrote, -I'll keep it blue. It'll remind them exactly who they're messing with.-

Just before they entered the dorm the boys shared, Ben jogged over. "Guys!"

"Sup?" Mal asked, shifting her weight to her left leg and keeping her low voice carefully neutral.

"Have you heard anything about Riah? Has he woken up yet?"

"Yeah, he's awake. We just talked to him. Kind of."  
;  
Off of Bens confusion, Evie added, "He's having a bit of trouble talking right now."

"Ah. Am I allowed to see him?"

"You're thing king." Mal sassed. "I doubt anyone will stop you."

"I... I meant is it okay with you guys if I do?"

Mals eyes widened almost imperceptibly. "You're asking our permission?"

"Seems only right."

"Um... sure. Go ahead."

Ben nodded and ran off, and Evie shook her head. "Honestly, we might not even need the spell. Riah could probably ask and Ben would hand over the wand."

Mal snorted.


	6. 6

"You're sure this will work?" Riah asked, examining the cookie.

"Absolutely. We've also got the not spelled cookies back in the guys' room. I tried one, they're really good." Mal reassured.

"So we get cookies when this is done?"

"Yep."

"Oh fuck yeah." He grinned, scanning the crowd until he saw Ben by his locker. Ben looked up as he walked over, a small smile gracing his lips at seeing Riah up and about. "Hey, dude."

"Hey, Riah. Glad to see you out of bed. You coming to the game today?"

"Oh yeah, definitely. Oh!" He held up the cookie, shaking the bad slightly. "Evie made cookies. They were supposed to be for the entire team, but the others couldn't resist. We decided to save one for you as... kinda like a thank you for getting us off of the Isle."

Ben winced in apology. "I'm not really supposed to eat before games."

Riah raised his eyebrows. "Oh, right. Sorry, I just forgot. Yeah, never accept candy from a villain, am I right?"

"No-"

"No, I get it. I could be trying to poison you. You're cautious. I get it." He sighed, letting a bit of sadness appear in his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. It's fine. Hey, Mal!"

As Mal came closer, Ben snatched the cookie from Riah, taking a bite out of the cookie. He smiled. "See, I totally trust you." Riah stared at him, shocked, so Ben continued, "Yeah, this is really good. Tell Evie she's an amazing cook. It's... nice, chewy..." Ben trailed off, tilting his head slightly. "Riah, have your eyes always had those flecks of green?"

"Um..." He didn't know how to respond to that. "Yeah, I think?"

"Hey, Ben, how you feeling?" Jay asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"I... I feel like I'm flying..." He smiled gently at Riah. Carlos gently took what was left of the cookie away from Ben.

"Ben, we have a game." Jay prodded.

"Oh! Oh, right." Ben nodded, letting the guys lead him away.

Riah let go of a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Mal snapped her fingers, grabbing his attention. "C'mon, we've gotta watch the game."

The Auradon team won with flying colours, all thanks to Carlos and Jay. Even those born in Auradon were admitting it as the coach handed the trophy to the cheering team. It seemed that the cheering would've gone on forever had Ben not taken the podium, practically wrenching the microphone away from the announcer. The crowd quieted, and Ben muttered a small thanks before shouting, "I have an important announcement to make... Give me an R!"

Riah groaned as the crowd repeated the letter. Oh Satan incarnate, what was in that cookie?

"Give me an I!"

Mal and Evie joined in, laughing a bit. 

"Give mean an A!"

At that point, Audrey had stormed off. Riah had almost forgotten that Ben had a girlfriend. 

"Give me an H!"

"He's so dramatic about it." Evie gushed. Riah shot an exasperated look at her, but he secretly liked the attention.

"What does that spell?" After practically everyone shouted Riahs name at its owner, Ben continued, "I like you, Riah. Did I mention that?"

Riah blushed as Ben made his way into the stands. The goddamn kiss cam even focused on them, which Riah thought was a bit much as Ben slung one arm over his shoulders. "Riah, will you be my boyfriend?"

It took a few moments for Riah to remember the English language. "Y... yes!"

Audrey stormed back over, dragging Chad, and announced, "Chad is my date to coronation now."

Ben practically ignored her, only acknowledging her statement in his next question; "Riah, will you be my date to the coronation?"

"Yeah!" Riah grinned.

"He said yes!" Ben crowed, getting a cheer from the audience.

It didn't seem possible, to be as happy as Riah was at that moment.


	7. 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confession time; I keep forgetting that Riah is only a nickname.

"Where do you think he's going to take me?" Riah turned slightly so he could see the entire outfit. It was a toned-down version of what he'd worn to Halloween, with a lot less jewellery and a leather jacker replacing the black trench coat. Even so, he doubted he would be able to go anywhere in Auradon without people immediately knowing that he was from the Isle.

On the bright side, the eyeshadow Evie had wheedled him into wearing made his eyes look more like gold than a toxic yellow.

"Where ever it is, the two of you are going to have a great time," Evie reassured.

There was a knock on the door the second the clock struck noon, and Evie smiled. "Must be him!"

Riah took a deep breath, opening the door. Bens greeting died on his lips as he saw Riah, who blushed faintly at the attention. "I... I don't look stupid, right?"

"No!" Ben replied, maybe a bit too forcefully. "It's just... every time I see you, I think you can't get more beautiful, but the next time I do you always are."

Riahs eyes widened. "I... don't know how to respond to compliments."

Ben chuckled, gently grippings Riahs gloved hands. "Normally, you just say thank you."

"Well then... thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Hey, losers!" Mal called, making both jump. "Don't you have a date to go on or something?"

"Oh, right." It was Bens turn to blush. "C'mon, I have a real treat for you."

"Okay, you can open your eyes now!" Ben called. Riah obliged, hands going to cover his mouth as he took in the shimmering lake and the gazebo. Ben stood at the bottom of the stairwell, looking just a little bit apprehensive. He took a small step forward, "Do you like it?"

"I... I love it." Riah whispered, walking heavily down the stairs. Once he was at Bens level, he could see multiple picnic baskets and a blanket set up in the gazebo. "What's this?"

"Well, you seem to really like the food we have here, so I thought I'd introduce you to some of my favourites," Ben explained, leading Riah to sit on the blanket. The soon-to-be king opened the first one, pulling out... something?

"What's that?"

"Berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and boysenberries." He pointed to each one in turn, looking very much like a child showing off a project they worked very hard on. Riah regarded them uncertainly, so Ben grabbed one of the raspberries and ate it. Riah copied him, his eyes widening at the bittersweet taste. Bens eyes softened in adoration as he watched Riah pick out a few more and stuff them into his mouth. He found it endearing, how what seemed like the smallest thing to him could mean the world to Riah. Ben pulled out the materials for a sandwich.

Riahs brow crinkled. "That is?"

"Bread, turkey, pepperoni, roast beef, swiss cheese, and cheddar cheese. For sandwiches."

"You mean this all goes into one sandwich?!"

"I mean... it can, but mostly you just make sandwiches with the ingredients you want," Ben explained. Riah examined all of the ingredients with curiosity akin to that of a child before settling on a basic turkey sandwich. Ben found himself watching how Riah reacted to everything, as if every flavour was the most important thing. Almost the way the older nobles in the court sampled fine wines. 

Riah ate three sandwiches, then the bread was gone so he just ate the slices of cheese and lunch meat.

"Oh, did you bring anything to swim in?" 

Riah looked up, slightly panicked. "No?"

"Heck, I totally forgot to tell you."

"Hey, go ahead. I'll stay behind and eat some more."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Riah grabbed another slice of cheese. Ben chuckled yet again, then climbed up to an outcropping of rock. pulling off his shirt and pants to reveal swim trunks.

"Are those little crowns on your shorts?" Riah called. Ben glanced at them as if he'd forgotten what pattern was on them, then dove into the water. Riah laughed, watching the spot where Ben disappeared.

He finished off the raspberries, and still Ben didn't reappear.

"Ben?" Riah moved to the edge of the gazebo, looking over. The water was deep, probably around seven feet, with rocks at the bottom. "Ben?!"

No response.

Panic constricted Riahs throat as he called Ben twice more. Oh Gods... Riah jumped into the water after him, thinking that Ben was unconscious somewhere at the bottom of the lake. But in doing so, Riah forgot one important fact;

He had no fucking idea how to swim.

He flailed, search forgotten as he tried to keep his head above water. Water flooded his lungs, went up his nose and into his eyes...

Then, Ben appeared, grabbing him in a bridal carry and swimming back to the gazebo. 

"You scared me!" Riah cried, wrapping his bony arms around Ben's neck.

"You can't swim?" Ben questioned, out of breath.

"Of course not!"

"But you live on an island!"

"Yeah, and island with a barrier around in and crocodiles infesting whatever beach we have!" Riah scooted about a foot away from the edge of the concrete as Ben set him down.

"And yet you still tried to save me." Be whispered. Riah blushed, unable to help the feeling that there was something different about the way Ben looked at him. No longer affectionate but... studying.

"I... I guess I did." He rested his head on Ben's chest, reassuring himself that the prince still had a heartbeat.

"I said I love you... do you love me?"

Riah froze. "I... I don't know what that kind of love feels like."

Bens expression softened, something akin to sadness in his eyes. "Then maybe I can show you."

Riah sighed slowly, relaxing. "I would like that."


	8. 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit I'm so sorry this took so long-

"And then he kissed me!" Riah recounted.

"Did you kiss him back?" Evie asked.

"No!" Riah sat up, looking mildly horrified. "He scared me and I accidentally punched him in the neck!"

Mal wheezed, laughing and managing to choke out, "You punched the king in the neck?!"

"It's not funny, Mal! I knocked him into the water!" Riah cried. Mal doubled over, laughing harder.

Evie sighed, ignoring her. "How did he react?"

"He acted like it was the most fucking brilliant thing, me punching him! And then he acted like it didn't happen!" Riah groaned, falling back onto the bed and draping one arm over his eyes. "Men are weird!"

Mal, who'd recovered slightly, burst out in laughter so consuming she fell to the floor. Evie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Amen. How did the rest of the date go?"

"Oh, it went fine. He took me to the palace while his parents weren't home and-"

"Woah woah woah!" Mal shouted, covering Carlos' ears. "We have young ears in this room!"

"No! Nothing like that!" Riah yelped, "He gave me some clothes to change into while mine were in the drier and we talked about the Isle."

Mal sighed. "You're not supposed to be getting attached to him. He's a means to an end, nothing more."

"I am NOT getting attached!" Riah protested, ignoring the fact that the ship had sailed long ago.

Mal smirked. "Good. Coronation is in a week. There's a party tomorrow, and people from all over the kingdom will be attending. Including King Adam and Queen Belle. After that, the wand is ours."

Riah nodded, trying to dispel the anxiety and guilt in his stomach. "The wand is ours, and Auradon will burn."

There was no way he could do this.

Riah gripped Bens hand as Ben led him up to the gazebo where the king and queen stood. Ben squeezed his hand gently. "Can you wait here for just a second?"

Riah nodded, biting his lip as Ben went up to his parents. He couldn't hear what Ben was saying over his own heartbeat, but he forced his numb legs to carry him when Ben ushered him over.

"This is Riah, my boyfriend."

Belle was the first to recover, stammering out an extremely forced "Hi!"

With all the fake bravado he could muster, Riah replied with, "Hey."

"You're one of the Isle kids," Beast stated, looking numb.

"I think so." Dammit. What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

"You should join us for lunch!" Belle cried, her smile looking kind of painful.

"I can't. I'm having lunch with... my friends." He vaguely gestured to Jay and Carlos, who were dipping their fingers in the chocolate fountain.

"Then they should join us too," Beast said, sounding more like he was ordering than inviting.

"I'll make sure to pass that along."

Ben glanced around, deciding he had to end the tension before it killed someone. "Hey, Riah, look, they bought out some sandwiches. Let's go grab some." As he led Riah away, he whispered, "You okay?"

"Fuck no, that was terrifying."

Ben chuckled. "Well, at least there's food."

Riah nodded numbly. "At least there's food."

Food can't solve all of your problems. 

Riah and Ben were in the middle of yet another extremely tense conversation with the king and queen when a very shrill voice shrieked, "YOU?!"

Riah shot to his feet, scanning the crowd and finding Mal talking to a horrified-looking queen whom he couldn't identify. He ran over, pulling Mal back a few paces as Ben spoke quietly and reassuringly. Evie, Jay, and Carlos moved over, Jay standing between his friends and the woman who Riah identified as Audrey's grandmother, Audrey, and Chad.

Riah hadn't quite been paying attention to what led up to it, but suddenly Chad pointed at him. "YOU stole someone's man." Then, to Mal, "You use magic to manipulate people into liking you." To Jay, "You enjoy hurting people." And to Evie, "And you. You're nothing but a gold-digger, and a cheater."

Jay snarled, swinging at Chad. Chad returned with a shove that Jay didn't expect. Evie panicked, grabbing a perfume bottle from her bag and spraying it at Chad.

Chad went down.

Before he could recover, the five took off across the field, parting the crowd like a hot knife through soft butter. 

Eventually, they made their way to an isolated picnic table as far from the festivities as they could get. Eventually Ben found them, coming to reassure them that everything was okay and to give Riah a small kiss on the head. Their mood didn't improve when a gaggle of girls came over and started their whispering.

Jane sauntered over, a malicious smile on her face. "I don't know why you even bother. I mean, he's never going to make a villain a king."

His scleras turned black as he gripped the table, but Mal rose first, flipping through her spellbook. "Beware, foreswear, undo Jane's hair."

The others stood as the girls all started to laugh, this time at Jane instead of with her, and Mal growled, "There's more where that came from."

"You can't do that!" Audrey protested.

"Oh, can't I?" Mal started to flip through the spellbook, and the idiots finally got some brain cells and left. Mal then shut the book with a snap and turned to them. "Let's get that wand."


	9. 9

"Evie?"

Mal kept her breathing even as she heard Riah slip in through the window. Evie sat up. "Is something wrong?"

Riah ignored her question. "Do you think she's really asleep?"

"Mal? Yeah. What's going-"

"I need you to promise me something, and you can't tell Mal." Riah interrupted. Without waiting for a response, he said, "I know that one of us wielding the wand will most likely break the barrier. I need you to promise me, if it's confirmed that Maleficent is going to win... if you're closest to me, I need you to take my amulet from me. I'll teleport myself away, but I can't take the amulet off myself."

"What?" Evie whisper-shouted. "Why?!"

Riah took a deep breath. "Evie, there are so many things you don't know about me that Maleficent does. I can't live with her over my head any more. I'll be dead within a year even if you or one of the guys doesn't take my amulet, so I'd quite honestly rather die at your guys' hands, on my own time, than at the hands of her goons. Please, Evie..."

Evie sighed. "I agree, but only if you tell me one thing."

Riah groaned. "Shoulda seen that one coming." He paused for a few moments, then, "You promise not to tell the others?"

"I do."

"C-can you swear on the River Styx?" He sounded so damn insecure, so far from the punk Mal had first met on the Isle...

"I swear on the River Styx." Evie pledged.

"Okay..." Riah blew out a long breath. "I'm... You know what? Just... forget I asked. One of the guys will do it."

"Riah." Evie stood with him. "If whatever it is is bothering you this much, you should at least have someone else who knows. Someone on your side."

"B-but... what if you don't stay on my side? What if you hate me or-"

"Riah, banish that thought right now. It's not my place to hate you for anything."

He took another deep breath. "I... I was abandoned about a month after my birth when I was cursed. My dad left me to die. Hades found me and took me in, decided that I deserved a chance. That's what I meant when I said Hades did a favour to me, not to the Horned King. Because the Horned King would prefer I was dead right now."

Oh shit.

Mal had to make a conscious effort not to react. She knew how that felt, not being wanted. In fact, she'd been TOLD how very unwanted she was. But Riah... he's never been able to question if it was a lie, the way she had. If his dad truly did want him. Gods above, the kid had been left for DEAD!

Let it never be said that Mal was an empathetic person, but her heart hurt for him.

"You don't want to go through with this plan, do you?" Evie asked gently.

Riah sighed. "No... I don't. But I have never put my wants first and I won't start now."

"Riah, this is more than just a want, this could kill you!" Evie exclaimed.

As much as she hated to interrupt, there was no way she could pass off sleeping through that. She sighed, rolling over slowly and opening her eyes, giving Riah time to escape. "Evie? What's going on?"

She could see Evie calculating, trying to figure out how much she could reveal while keeping her promise. "Mal, we have a very big problem."


	10. 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riah is the top post on this link; https://randomdemi.tumblr.com/

Riah was practically plastered to Bens side, hands gripping the soon-to-be king's arm as if he was afraid Ben would disappear were Riah not there to anchor him. Riah didn't even bother waving to the crowd, only paying attention to Ben. Ben took it in stride, guessing that Riah didn't like being the centre of attention.

As they neared the castle and the crowd began to dissipate, Riah finally spoke. "I- I made you something. For after." He pulled out a small box with a cupcake.

Ben grinned, taking it from him. "Thanks, I can't wait." He kissed the top of Riahs head, then shrugged. "Well, actually, I'm hungry now." With that, he popped the snack into his mouth.

Riah stiffened, gripping Bens arm so hard that Ben was starting to lose feeling in his fingers. "H... how do you feel?"

"I don't know. Let's give the anti-love potion a few seconds to take effect."

Riahs expression was priceless. "You KNEW?!"

"That you spelled me? Yeah, I know."

"I- I- I can explain-"

"Look, I get it. You had a crush and I was with Audrey..."

"H-how long did you know?"

"Since our first date. The lake is enchanted."

Oh... "So... what? You've just been faking it this entire time?" Of course. Of-fucking-course. Riah could never have anything nice ever-

"No. Not pretending." He smiled gently, running the pad of his thumb over Riah's cheekbone.

Well, in that case, maybe it would've been easier on Riah if Ben had just said yes, he was faking it. Riah's mind reeled as Ben led him inside and the ceremony started. He only had two options and both involved betraying those close to him. Don't take the wand, betray the others, leave Auradon intact? Or take the wand, betray his lover, and destroy Auradon, leaving the Isle to rule. He wished there was a middle ground. Or that he'd just stayed on the damned Isle and left others to deal with this.

The world was trying to personally attack him, and it was very much succeeding.

Riah bit his thumb as he watched Fairy Godmother remove the case on the wand. No... He wasn't going to do it.

Then, the real plot twist came.

Jane shot out of the crowd then snatched the wand, which instantly started to spark and flare.

"Child, what are you doing?" Fairy Godmother shrieked.

"If you won't make me beautiful I'll do it myself!" Jane shrieked back.

Riah leapt off of the stage, snatching the wand from Janes shaking hands and standing in the middle of the aisle. He had the wand.

He had the wand.

"Stay back!" He ordered. He looked around wildly as the other four came over, flanking him.

"Riah-" Ben took a few steps down the stairs.

"Ben, I said STAY BACK!" Riah pleaded.

Ben paused, staying where he was. "Riah, it's okay-"

"No, it's not!" Riah screamed. "IT IS NOT OKAY! I'm tired of being the victim! This place doesn't like me and neither does the Isle! I'm going to fix that!"

Ben blinked. "Is this about Halloween?"

"It's about everything, Ben! I'm done being shunned!"

Ben kept his hands in front of him as he took a small step forward. "And you have every right to be. No one deserves to be shunned and ignored, not you or anyone else. I get why you're upset. But this isn't the answer." He took another step. "Riah, I trusted you when I let myself be alone with you. Now, I need you to trust me. Please, love, give me the wand."

Riah stood, watching Ben draw closer for a few moments. Then, with a shaky breath, he dropped the wand into Bens waiting hands.

Ben grinned. "Thank you, Riah!"

Fairy Godmother came over, smiling gently as she took the wand from Ben.

Riah turned to his friends, eyes burning with unshed tears. They were going to hate him-

Evie pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, then pulled back and smiled at him. "Good job."

Mal smiled faintly. "How does it feel to do something for yourself?"

"Y-you guys aren't angry?"

"Nah." Jay shook his head. "I've grown kinda attached to this place."

"Maleficent will just have to die disappointed," Carlos added.

Speak of the devil, a ball of green fire shot through the window, landing in the middle of the room. Maleficent, in her full glory with a glowing green staff, stood in their midst, a victorious smile on her face.

"Ah, fuck." Riah whispered.


	11. 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second one will be out soon.

Mal was the first to speak, managing a small, "Go away, mother."

Maleficent cackled. "Oh, she's kidding! Such a kidder."

"It's no joke." Fairy Godmother snapped, recovering from her shock. "Bippidi bopitti-"

"Boo." Maleficent mocked. Her sceptre flashed blindingly, freezing everyone in the room, save the evil faerie and the five Isle born. They glanced at each other as she ignored them, going around and insulting each member of the royal family. Riah had his eyes closed, barely breathing but trembling a lot.

And then, Mal was angry.

Angry for Evie, who would go back to a life of constant judgment...

Angry for Jay, who would go back to a father who beat him...

Angry for Carlos, who would go back to a life of being nearly a slave...

Angry for herself, who's been treated better by a world that barely knew her than she'd ever been treated by her mom...

And angry for Riah, who would die if Maleficent won.

"No." She whispered. Everyone stared at her.

"What did you just say?" Maleficent growled, good humour gone.

Mal squared her shoulders, staring right into her mother's eyes and forcing her fear away. "I said no."

Maleficent laughed, a cold, chilling sound that bounced off of the walls and lacked humour. "You think YOU can say no to ME? What are you going to do, use your weak magic?"

Mal swallowed, her eyes flaring up emerald green, "You bet I will."

Then, the wand flew into her outstretched hand. She looked just as surprised as Maleficent.

"You insolent little beast!" Maleficent shrieked, her voice reaching pitches that should not have been possible. "Give me the wand! GIVE ME THE WAND!!"

Riah grabbed Mals free hand, speaking into her mind, //It's okay. You're powerful enough. I'll back you up.//

Mals expression hardened with conviction and Maleficent snarled. Green fog began to form a vortex and Maleficent began to laugh. 

Then, they were faced with a dragon.

To all of their credit, not one of them stepped back. Evie and Jay each put a hand on Mals tense shoulders, lending her whatever magic they would as Mal began to chant, "The strength of evil is good as none when stands before five hearts as one."

The dragon snarled, eyes glowing green. Mal met her gaze directly.

"The strength of evil is good as none when stands before five hearts as one!" This time Riah joined her, his eyes screwing shut with concentration.

The dragon raised one massive hand in the air, claws flashing-

"The strength of evil is good as none when stands before five hearts as one!" Even Carlos joined in, their five voices blending together.

Then, Maleficent froze... and began to shrink.

Carlos ran over, taking the covering for the wand and putting it over Maleficent, who was now the size of a small lizard.

"Okay..." Riah sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "How do we undo the-"

Everyone unfroze.

Riah took another deep breath. "Okay, that makes life easier."

Mal nodded, then the two collapsed to the floor.

Ben ran over, kneeling between the two. "You guys okay?"

Riah made a weak dismissive gesture. "We'll live."

"Where's Maleficent?"

Mal pointed vaguely at the jar.

Ben grinned. "Good job, guys."

Riah sat up, blinking away his weariness. "It was a group effort. Everyone helped."

Ben nodded, rising. "Auradon owes all of you a favour."

"Dude, it owes us like... twelve," Mal interjected.

Ben laughed, nodding. "Okay, I'll give you guys that. You guys going to come to the party?"

Mal sighed, helping Riah to his feet. "Yeah, sure, why not?"


End file.
